Cognition Dissemination: The PlayStation Classic Lineup Has Some Serious Holes

Sony Interactive Entertainment announced the PlayStation Classic a little under two months ago, their equivalent of a retro console similar to Nintendo’s NES and SNES iterations. It’s a miniature version of the original system that includes several classic PSOne games preloaded onto the device. With the reveal, though, Sony took a unique approach by only announcing five games out of the 20-game total: Final Fantasy VII, Ridge Racer Type-4, Tekken 3, Jumping Flash, and Wild Arms. It’s like they wanted several guessing games to happen, a prospect that was difficult for many to resist, though I decided not to partake in it. Drew would have if he wasn’t busy with other matters.

Very few lists were the same, thanks to the PSOne having a fantastic lineup of games throughout its life. But with only 15 more games remaining as possibilities, there was bound to be disappointment because several good choices would be left off the final lineup.

But the lineup is also a letdown for most who didn’t have their expectations too high, despite the good explanations for why certain games were left off. The remaining 15 games for the western version were confirmed this past week, and they are: Battle Arena Toshinden, Destruction Derby, Cool Boarders 2, Grand Theft Auto, Intelligent Qube, Metal Gear Solid, Mr. Driller, Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee, Rayman, Resident Evil: Director’s Cut, Revelations: Persona, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, Syphon Filter, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six, and Twisted Metal. It’s not a bad lineup, especially with titles like the first Resident Evil game and Metal Gear Solid, even though the former’s remake is a much-improved experience. But some games chosen are a little head-scratching. Several classic games are also missing.

Cool Boarders 2 and Destruction Derby have their fans, and they had a retort ready for everyone who asked why these two are included. The inclusion of Twisted Metal is likely for nostalgia’s sake, though most fans feel the second game was superior. This also applies to Resident Evil, since Resident Evil 2 was a better game, and it would have worked as a companion to the Resident Evil 2 remake coming in January. But I understand why they went with the first game, despite the Director’s Cut version having some… interesting music changes.

The original Grand Theft Auto is also an eye-catcher, since the series didn’t take off until Grand Theft Auto III on PS2. The first two games are also very different, which were isometric titles instead of fully 3D ones. You could also almost apply this to Revelations: Persona, likely included due to the popularity of the Persona games starting with the third game — especially Persona 5. But time hasn’t been kind to the first Persona game, and while this applied to the updated Shin Megami Tensei: Persona PSP version, it especially applies to the original localization. Battle Arena Toshinden is also a curious game to include, because it was a title early adopters purchased in lieu of other, better software.

Other games likely aren’t being included due to publisher rights, and their desire to sell the games through their own methods. Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon were two of the most iconic franchises on the PSOne. While they were published by Sony in the 90s, Activision has control of the franchises now, and is selling and will sell them in remastered forms through the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and Spyro Reignited Trilogy, respectively. The first Tomb Raider game was also a memorable title, though why that’s not included is a mystery.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is likely missing in action due to releasing the Friday before last on PlayStation 4 as part of the Castlevania Requiem collection, which also included prequel Castlevania: Rondo of Blood. That version, however, includes imperfect emulation and the divisive localization from the PSP version instead of the PSOne iteration, so it would have been nice to have here.

The software choices also highlight how Sony didn’t have as powerful of a first-party lineup as Nintendo and Sega did on certain systems. The third-party titles were the highlights on PlayStation platforms, which makes the job of simply throwing games on a classic-style system tougher for Sony compared to, Nintendo and their Classic Editions.

But the choices are still questionable for some of us, especially if you compare differences between regions. Anyone who enjoys Japanese RPGs and thought they were the highlight of the PSOne’s lineup (this applies to at least a few writers here) will like the Japanese version’s lineup more than the western one. It includes the first two Arc the Lad games, Parasite Eve, and SaGa Frontier. It also includes other classics like mech action game Armored Core, puzzle game Devil Dice, and shoot ‘em ups G-Darius and Gradius Gaiden. Whether you think this is a better lineup is a matter of taste, but I prefer it.

The PlayStation Classic will release on December 3rd for $99.99. Current sales indications suggest that could sell well, but it won’t be as in demand as the NES and SNES Classic Editions. Amazon and Walmart are out of stock, but it’s still available for preorder at GameStop, Target, and Best Buy despite being announced in mid-September. It may not be too hard to get before Christmas, but I’d recommend preordering it if you want to ensure you get one, or know someone who wants one. Whether the lineup is part of the reason there’s ostensibly less demand anyone’s guess, as Sony could simply be manufacturing a lot of systems.

Of course, it could be both, too. We’ll find out.